Retracting type theater chair



195G .J. G. PROSSER ETAL RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR 3 Sheets-SheetFiled June 26, 1946 INVENTORS Jbseflz GZProsser Z'YIlmmas Kl ra-seerJan, 1950 J. 5. PROSSER ET AL RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 26, 1946 INVENTORS N a m m Wm M T J U8 Jan.17,, 1950 J. G. PROSSER ET AL. 2,494,779

RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Filed June 26, 1946 3 sneaks-sheet 3INVENTORS J 55 ATTRNEY Patented Jan. 17, 1950 RETRACTIN G THEATER CHAIRJoseph G. Presser and Thomas W. Prosser, Pasadena, Calif., assignors toAmerican Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of NewJersey Application June 26, 1946, Serial No. 6793.61 Claims. (01.155-416) The present invention relates to chairs and more particularlyto chairs of the retracting type for use in theaters, auditoriums andthe like. This application is a continuation-in-part of our copendingapplication Serial No. 679,354, filed June 26, 1946.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide an improved chair ofthe retracting type wherein the occupant may move the seat rearwardly inorder to permit others to pass in front of him without his having torise from the seat; to provide such a chair having a link mechanism formounting the chair back and seat, which mechanism insures easy andcomfortable forward and rearward movements and which is concealed belowthe level of the chair seat; to provide such a chair which whenretracted occupies a minimum of space in the rear of the chair; toprovide such a chair having improved means for mounting on spacedchair-supporting standards; and in general to provide such a retractingchair which is efficient in operation, reasonably economical inmanufacture and attractive in appearance.

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a retracting chair showing the chairseat and back in their normal, forward positions for occupancy;

Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 showing the chairseat and back in their retracted positions; I

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevational View of the left-hand sideof the chair;

Figure 4 is an inside elevational view of the mounting and operatingmechanism at the left hand side of the chair, certain parts being shownin vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3, and the movable chairparts being shown in their forward positions;

Figure 5 is an inside elevational view similar I to Figure 4 and showingthe movable chair parts in their rearward positions; I

Figures 6 and 7 are views similar to Figures 4 and 5 but showing amodified embodiment of the invention, the movable parts of this chairbeing shown in forward position and in rearward posiy tion in Figures 6and 7 respectively.

Referring now in detail to these drawings and referring first to Figures1 through 5 in particular, the retracting chair there shown is mountedon a frame comprising spaced, upright, chairsupporting standards Ihaving inwardly rojecting lugs 2 thereon provided with verticalstudreceiving slots 3, mounting members 4 having outwardly turnedflanges 5 with depending threaded studs 6 adapted to fit into the slots3, nuts 'I threaded on the lower ends of the studs 6, and a transversebar 8 secured as by welding to the opposite mounting members. The framethus formed is of sturdy and rigid construction. If desired, members 9of rubber, cork or other resilient material may be interposed betweenthe flanges 5 of the mounting members and the lugs 2 on the standardsfor absorbing any vibration of the chair during its retracting andreturning movements.

The mounting and operating mechanisms on opposite sides ofthe chairbeing of like construction, only one side is shown in Figures 3-5 andhereinafter described. A pair of side plate supporting links comprises afront supporting link I I1 and a rear supporting link II which havetheir lower ends pivotally connected to the mounting member 4. A sideplate I2 of generally triangular shape is pivotally connected at itslower for ward corner to the upper end of the front supporting link Ill,and is pivotally connected in its rearward portion to the upper end ofthe rear supporting link II. The side plate I2 is thus mounted forforward-rearward movement with the supporting links,and for simultaneousturning or rock-ing movement.

A seat carrier I3 has its rearward portion pivotally connected to thelower rear corner of the side plate I2. The forward portion of the seatcarrier I3 is supported by means of a seat supporting link I4 having itslower end pivotally connected to the mounting member 4, and a shortsuspension link I5 the upper end of which is pivotally connected to theupper end of the seat supporting link I4 and the lower end of which ispivotally connected to the seat carrier I3.

A chair back I 6 is mounted on inwardly turned flanges I! of the sideplates I2 on opposite sides of the chair, as by means of screws I8. Thechair seat I9 is shown rigidly secured to the seat carriers I3 onopposite sides of the chair as by means of bolts or rivets 20,

It will be seen that when the chair is retracted, the seat movesrearwardly in a substantially straight path, while the back movesrearwardly and also assumes a near-vertical position thus to minimizethe space required for retraction in the rear of the chair. Rearwardmovement of the chair is stopped by contact of the rear supporting linksII with rubber stops or bumpers III on the mounting members 4, whileforward movement of the chair is stopped by the contact of said links IIwith similar stops or bumpers 22 on the mounting members 4.

An equalizing strut 23 is here shown secured as by welding to the rearsupporting links H on opposite sides of the chair so that these linksare rigidly secured in assembly and move in unison, thus adding to thestability of the structure.

Figures 6 and '7 show a modified structure in which the side plate l I2is supported for forwardrearward movement on a front supporting link Hand a rear supporting link Ill, the lower ends of which links arepivotally connected to a mounting member Hit secured to the uprightstandard NH in the manner previously described. In this modification,the seat carrier H3 is pivotally connected in the rear to the side plateH2, while the forward end of the seat carrier H3 is supported by .a seatsupporting link H the lower end of which link is ivotally connected tothe mounting member Hi l and the upper end of which link is providedwith a sliding block or rolleriZii which travels in a curved race I26 inthe seat carrier M53. It will be seen that as this chair is retracted orreturned, the forward portion of the seat carrier is first lowered andthen raised by the (Jamming action of the roller H in the race E25. Thismovement substantially parallels the lowering and raising of therearward portion of the seat carrier, and the seat is thereforemaintained in a substantially horizontal position during its forward andreara d m e ents.

All qu i ing strut, l 2'! connects the front links [ill on oppositesides of this modified structure, thus addin to the stability of thestructure. The strut i2! also serves to limit the forward and rearwardmovements of the chair, being adapted to contact the stop E25 in themounting member I04 when the chair is in its rearwardmost position andto contact the stop I2 3 on the seat carrier I I3 when the chair is inits forwardmost position.

It will thus be seen that a retracting chair has been provided having anovel combination of supporting links for the chair back and seat, inwhich the mounting and operating mechanism is located out of sight belowthe seat level, and which mechanism is arranged for easy and comfortableforward-rearward movements of the chair. While but several specificembodiments of the chair have been herein shown and described, it willbe understood tha numerous details of the construction shown may bealtered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention asthe same is defined by the following claims, wherein the word frame istobe construed broadly enough to include either a unitary assembly or apair of spaced chair standards whose only rigid connection is the floorupon which such pair of standards is installed.

We claim:

1. In a chair, a frame, opposite pairs of side plate supporting linkshaving their lower ends pivotally connected to the frame, side platesmounted on the upper ends of said supporting links for forward andrearward movements with said links, a chair back mounted on the sideplates, seat carriers having their rearward ends pivotally connected tothe side plates, independent seat. Supporting links having their lowerends pivotally connected to the frame and their upper ends pivotallyconnected to the seat carriers, a chair seat mounted on the seatcarriers, and stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movementsof the side plates.

2. In a chair, a frame, opposite pairs of side plate supporting linkshaving their lower ends pivotally connected to the frame, side platesmounted on the upper ends of said supporting links for forward andrearward movements with said links, a chair back mounted on the sideplates, seat carriers having their rearward ends pivotally connected tothe side plates, independent seat supporting links having their lowerends pivotally connected to the frame, suspension links having theirupper ends pivotally connected to the upper ends of the seat supportinglinks and having their lower ends pivotally connected to the seatcarriers, a chair seat mounted on the seat carriers, and stop means forlimiting the forward and rearward movements of the side plates.

3. In a chair, spaced upright chair-supporting standards, mountingmembers attached to said standards, opposite pairs of side platesupporting links having their lower ends pivotally connected to themounting members, side plates mounted on the upper ends of saidsupporting links for forward and rearward movements with said links, achair back mounted on the side plates, a seat connected in the rear withthe side plates, independent seat supporting links having their lowerends pivotally connected to the mounting members and their upper endspivotally connected to the forward part of the seat, and stop means forlimiting the forward and rearward movements of the side plates.

4. In a chair, spaced upright chair-supporting standards, mountingmembers attached to said standards, opposite pairs of side platesupporting links having their lower ends pivotally connected to themounting members, side plates mounted on the upper ends of saidsupporting links for forward and rearward movements with said links, achair back mounted on the side plates, a seat connected in the rear withthe side plates, independent seat supporting links having their lowerends pivotally connected to the mounting members, suspension linkshaving their upper ends pivotally connected to the upped ends of theseat supporting links and their lower ends pivotally connected to theforward part of the seat, and stop means for limiting the forward andrearward movements of the side plates.

5. In a chair, spaced upright chair-supporting standards, mountingmembers attached to said standards, opposite pairs of side platesupporting links having their lower ends pivotally connected to themounting members, side plates mounted on the upper ends of saidsupporting links for forward and rear-ward movements with said links, achair back mounted on the side plates, seat carriers having theirrearward ends pivotally connected to the side plates, independent seatsupporting links having their lower ends pivotally connected to themounting members, suspension links having their upper ends pivotallconnected to the upper ends of the seat supporting links and their lowerends pivotally connected to the forward ends of the seat carriers, achair seat mounted on the seat carriers, and stop means for limiting theforward and rearward movements of the side plates.

CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,509,863 Erickson ,,g Sept. 30,1924 2,336,031 Orton Dec. 7, 1943

